Pleat clip



D. I. REITER PLEAT our May 20, 1941.?

Filed May 1, 1939 INVEN TOR Dame) Z Rezz'er A TORNEY Patented May 20, 1941 UNHTE PLEAT CLIP 4 Claims.

This invention relates to clips and particularly to bendable clips used for securing together adjacent parts of a folded portion of a sheet of fabric in order to form a pleat in the sheet.

To obviate the necessity of stitching pleats in fabric, small metallic clips are used to secure the pleats. The clips, when aligned with each other on the same fold, form a continuous pleat, and when arranged in transversely spaced relation, are adapted to form various ornamental pleated or gathered designs in the fabric, according to the disposition of the clips. The thus pleated fabric has various uses such as for lining pocketbooks and the like.

The clips, however, are quite small, that is, on

they cannot be handled by automatic fastener setting machinery, because they cannot all be arranged in the same positions while they are fed through the machine, nor can they be arranged in uniform setting position by the advancing mechanism of the fastener machine.

My invention, therefore, contemplates the provision of a pleating clip so shaped as to adapt it to be set and secured by fastener setting machines such as those in common use.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a pleating clip provided with side flanges designed to guide the clip during its progress through a fastener setting machine and into proper position for setting thereby, without interfering with the proper securing action of the clip when set.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a simple clip designed to be fed and set by a fastener setting machine and provided with fabric engaging means holding it securely in place after the clip has been set and further provided with guide flanges serving as a reinforcement for the clip and preventing the accidental distortion or displacement thereof during the operation thereon by the machine.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a simple, efiicient and economical method of forming a pleat orsecured fold in an articl of fabric by means of the clips.

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description which follows, and from the drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of my new clip.

Fig. 2 is a'vertical section of the same as it appears secured to a fabric sheet'to secure a pleat or fold therein.

Fig. 3 is a rear View of the same.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a slightly modified form of the clip.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View of a part of a fastener setting machine, showing how the clip progresses through the machine and is arranged in position to be set and secured to a piece of fabric.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the clip chute showing the clip supported and properly positioned therein.

Fig. '7 is a vertical section of the bottom member of the chute, showing the guide for supporting the clip during its advance into setting position.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the clip setting means.

In the practical embodiment of the invention which I have shown by way of example, the clip 10 (Figs. 1 and 2) is made, preferably, of a single fiat piece of sheet metal. 'Bent laterally out of the plane of the sheet and into arcuate or outwardly convex form or bowed form are the opposed fabric gripping portions and [2. As shown in Fig. 1, the portions H and I2 are prebent so that the free edges thereof are spaced apart to provide the space I 3 therebetween of sufiicient width to permit a folded sheet of fabric to be inserted through said space and against the flat unmutilated middle portion I 4 of the clip.

I To permit the flanges II and I2 to be bent from said body portion, suitable longitudinal slits or slots as l5, l5, l1 and I8, are made, said slits extending inwardly from the adjacent end edges I9 and 20 of the sheet toward each other, and being substantially parallel to the side edges of the sheet.

The major parts of the gripping portions H and I2 are, thereby, freed from the remainder of the sheet and bent laterally therefrom to the desired extent, said portions being further bendable into their operative positions as shown in Fig. 2. At the sides of the clip, the flat substantially rectangular portions 2| and 22' remain unbent and unmutilated and serve as guides. When the clip is inserted into the hopper of a fastener setting machine, the hopper, when operated, causes the clip to enter the chute of the machine in a definite position determined by the guide portions 2| and 22, said portions also guiding the clip into its proper position for setting by the machine. The mid-portion l4 of the clip remains flat and is commonto the portions l2, 2| and 22.

The respective free ends as 23 and 24 of the flanges II and I2 are preferably serrated, pronged or notched to form prongs as 25 at said edge adapted to puncture or enter the fabric sheet and thereby to grip the sheet more securely than would otherwise be possible.

As shown in Fig. 2, which is on a greatly enlarged scale, as are the remaining figures except Fig. 5, compared to the actual size of the clip and to the actual thickness of the fabric sheet, the side flanges or guides 2| and 22 are positioned substantially parallel and in slightly spaced relation to the fabric sheet 26, but are not sufficiently distant therefrom to interfere with the use of the sheet in a suitable article such as a pocket book or the like. When the gripping flanges II and I2 are forced together, about the fold 21, the desired pleat as 28 is produced.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 4, the gripping portions 30 and 3| are somewhat narrower at the free ends thereof than at the portions where they join the mid-portion I4. The free ends 32 are, furthermore, serrated, notched or pronged somewhat differently from the form shown in Fig. 1, but, nevertheless, provide adequate gripping surfaces to hold the fabric sheet. 7

When the clips are dropped into the hopper 33 of a fastener setting machine, such as is shown in Fig. diagrammatically, said hopper arranges the clips in the chute 34 with the side flanges 2| and 22 in the grooves 35 and 36 of the machine, whereby the gripping portions II and I2 project from the chute, all in the same direction, ready to be transferred to the setting position thereof. Since hoppers and chutes for the arrangement of fastener elements are well known, a detailed description and illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary.

At the lower end of the chute 34 is provided a reciprocating member 31 sliding on the plate 38 and reciprocated at the proper time as by means of the rod 39 under the control of the operator. When the member 31 is in its retracted position to the right of the chute, the lowermost clip drops from the chute in front of said member and into the position shown in Fig. 7. In said position, the side flanges 2| and 22 are guided by the upright walls 40 and 4| of the member 38 in which the clip advancing member 31 reciprocates. On the clipadvancing movement toward the left of the member 31, the lowermost clip is advanced to the position shown in Fig. 5 against the stop wall 42 and is held in said position by said member.

The fabric sheet 26 in its folded state is then inserted through the space |3 into the clip and between the portions H and I2 whereafter the vertically reciprocating plunger 43 is operated to bend the portions II and I2 toward each other and to cause the prongs 25 or 32 to adequately grip the fabric and to carry the face and edges of the portions H and I2 to a position closely adjacent each other. The flanges 2| and 22 remain upright in the member 38 during the setting operation just described. As the plunger 43 is raised, the clip thus secured to the fabric is freed and the fabric 26 may be moved from another position ready for a repetition of the operation, the lowermost clip in the chute having in the meantime been advanced into its setting position by the member 31.

As shown in Fig. "I, the free edge of the clip may be shaped in various ways, being largely convex as at its free edge 44 with an additional projection as, 45 thereon serving to better grip the fabric.

It will be seen that I have provided a simple and efficient pleat-forming clip designed to be set into place by automatic machinery and well adapted for the purposes for which it is intended, as well as a method of pleating a sheet of fabric which can be carried out economically and rapidly and avoiding the use of hand pliers.

While I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, but intend to claim the invention as broadly as may be permitted by the state of the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A one-piece sheet metal pleating clip comprising a flat generally H-shaped part including side flanges and a connecting mid-portion, an outwardly bowed convex part extending laterally out of the plane of the flat part and integrally connected to each edge of the mid-portion, each convex part terminating in a serrated free end edge, said end edges being opposed for gripping a pleat therebetween.

2. A one-piece sheet metal clip for securing a fold in a piece of fabric, said clip comprising a pair of spaced flat coplaner side portions, a transversely connected mid-portion, said mid-portion including a pair of similarly bowed fabric gripping members extending laterally therefrom and shaped to receive a substantially cylindrical imperforate fold of fabric therebetween, each of said members being bent out of the plane of said side portions toward and approaching the other but being spaced from each other by a predetermined distance, said members being bendable further toward each other to grip the fold of a sheet of fabric inserted therebetween, said side portions supporting the gripping members and being adapted to guide the clip in its movement through a clip setting machine.

3. The structure recited in claim 2, the free edges of the gripping portions which extend toward each other being spaced apart a distance less than the dimension of the mid-portion extending in the same general direction as the side portions.

4. The structure recited in claim 1, the outwardly bowed convex parts being shaped to provide a generally cylindrical space therebetween.

DANIEL I. REITER. 

